


Wind of Madness

by koi_choshi



Series: Yankee Academy [2]
Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Delinquents, Forced Prostitution, Gen, M/M, Majisuka Gakuen ripoff, Yankees, implies sexual theme, pure friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-04 03:40:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14011377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koi_choshi/pseuds/koi_choshi
Summary: Being part of the strongest yankee fight club, Arashi, binds the members like brothers. But there is a deeper bond that exists between the newly recruited King, Aiba, and the vice president, Kaze.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The story can stand alone but it would be nice to read this as an accompaniment of "Yankee Academy". This is more like a prequel and may show some inconsistencies.
> 
> Please also forgive a lot of my errors. This was originally an 2014 (or something) work that was posted in my LJ in 2016.

**KAZE**

 

Leader motioned me to come towards the edge of the rooftop. He was leaning on the railings and looking below. “Come here, Kaze,” he said.

I stood up from the tattered couch where I was sitting on and pocketed my DS. I went beside the president and looked down. “What is it?”

“I want to get him,” he simply said, pointing at the man with longer-than-usual hair, hitting a whole group of small fries.

I looked at our leader. He might look sleepy all of the time but I knew very well that there’s a monster hiding behind that exterior. Besides, he looked cool,  _plainly_ cool, wearing his uniform the most normal way possible. It gave an aura of normalcy and a hidden danger behind a serene mask.

“What do you see in him?” I asked Leader. I looked at the man who was done beating up the whole group. Apart from the fact that all the guys were down on the ground, my eyes narrowed at the fact that all of their faces were smeared by something like red paint. No, that was definitely blood.

I looked at Leader with wide eyes. I saw him nod. I knew the principles of fighting that Arashi agreed on and this man would definitely not fit in. “I want  _you_  to tell me things about him. Then I will go get him.”

“His name is Aiba Masaki,” a voice interrupted. We both looked behind and saw Pi standing behind us, holding a chain necklace with an unmistakable red stain. “Do you want me to tell you about him?”

I smirked. “No need,” I said. “I’m going to find out myself.” I started to walk out.

“Be careful, Kaze-san,” the Nightmare Whisperer said. “He has problems up here,” he pointed at his temple.

I walked the streets aimlessly. Leader was probably bored that he tasked me with gathering information about that Aiba. I really did not know why he actually needed me; he got Jun, Pi, and Toma easily without my help. They just entered the topmost room, with a few bruises and cuts here and there, behind Leader’s happy grin.

I knew this one was different. This yankee was different from the others.

He might not even be a yankee at all.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**KAZE**  
  
  
I touched my cheek that was swollen red. Leader would definitely tease me about this injury. I sat down by the breakwater and looked at the sunset.  
  
What was I doing, anyway? Why did I fight those small fries? I chuckled a bit. I was probably bored. Not even my DS could remove that boredom.  
  
Then I saw him. By the other side of the breakwater. He was playing with a pinwheel, blowing it, watching it spin, and then laughing. He had a very distinct hyena laugh that actually gave shivers behind my neck.  
  
He looked at me and gave a cheerful smile and a wave. Without any invitation, the yankee made his way, no, he crawled his way towards me and sat beside me.  
  
“I did not invite you,” I said coldly.  
  
He silently handed the pinwheel to me and I just stared at it, blinking. “I’m giving this to you!” he said like a kid.  
  
“Oh…”  
  
“Are you mad?” he asked in a sweet voice, like a kid asking an elder brother if he was still mad for something bad he had done. But the look in his eyes was deadly. It was worse than Toma’s sudden mood swings when he becomes the so-called ‘poison’.  
  
“You’re Aiba Masaki, right?”  
  
“You can call me Aiba-chan…!”  
  
“Aiba- _chan_ …”  
  
“Yes, only friends get to call me Aiba-chan!” he said happily.  
  
I looked at the high school yankee again and my eyebrows furrowed. “So, where are your friends?” I asked casually.  
  
He just smiled. His smile was something sinister so I dropped the topic. But then, if this crazy boy considered me as a friend, it might be easier for me to just drag him up to the topmost floor. Not that I wanted to, anyway.  
  
“Do you want to join Arashi?” I asked in the quietest voice I could muster.  
  
“I hate clubs. Clubs are boring,” he said simply. Why did this guy sound like some preschool brat? I watched him stand up, dust his pants, and jump down to the street. “But if you’re going to play with me, I might join, Ka~ze~san,” he said my name in a singsong voice. This guy actually knew me.  
  
I watched him walk off, skipping here and there. He was actually playing “lava”, trying not to step only on selected tiles. He would lose his balance, stagger a bit, and laugh at his own mistakes. He really acted like a child.  
  
Apart from the scene I’ve seen the other day when Leader introduced me to him, I had no idea about his strength. Why was Leader so keen in making him a king? Well, apart from the fact that he wanted 4 kings to symbolize the kings of the playing cards?  
  
I walked towards the flat that I shared with Leader. He did not even look up when I arrived as he was busily drawing something in his sketchbook. Sometimes, you would wonder how a silent person like him could be the strongest mountain of Yano High.  
  
Same as me, though. How could a geeky gamer be his second-in-command?  
  
“You seem to be deep in thought, Kaze,” he said while drawing. This time, he was using a paintbrush for coloring. “Have you seen Aiba-san?”  
  
He used “-san”. That means, he hasn’t met the brat yet. I smirked at him and sat across him. “Well, yeah. He’s kinda weird.”  
  
“I guess that pinwheel in your pocket came from him,” he added, still busily making strokes on the paper. Leader could be very observant at times. The uneven pinwheel was peeking through my pocket.  
  
“How did you know?”  
  
He shrugged. “He seems to be fond of you then,” he commented.  
  
“No. he might be afraid of me,” I said coolly. That was a lie. There was no hint of fear in his eyes earlier.  
  
“Hmmm…”  
  
“I’m going to sleep, old man. Don’t you disturb me,” I told my president. I had mad respect towards him but in this apartment, we’re on equal footing on rent and everything.  
  
He probably thought I was sleeping so I heard him mutter (our flat was  _that_  small you could hear it if he was moaning or something), “I wonder what Aiba- _chan_  thinks of you…”  
  
The next day was as uneventful. Jun and I just beat the hell out of some Eita thugs who tried to sabotage us while having a hearty lunch. They dropped my three thousand-yen burger to the floor. No one fucking does that.  
  
“Kaze-san, I’m going to buy you another one  _but_ not today,” Jun just said with an amused smile. “I think I have to buy a new coat. That bastard just stained this one.”  
  
“Fuck off, Matsujun,” I just muttered. I was really that mad and that hungry after the fight that I was not in the mood. “I’m gonna go back to school.”  
  
He just gave a nod and walked to the other side; he might be going to that Aeon mall to buy more, I don’t know, leopard print coats. Hell, he was not even from Osaka to begin with!  
  
I continued walking grumpily towards the school when I was blocked by someone taller than me. I looked at the brave bastard and saw Aiba looking at me and holding out a plastic bag containing those very cheap burgers.  
  
“Ah, I bought too many,” he said with a grin. “Want to have one?” He held out one of them.  
  
I grabbed the burger and started to eat it while muttering some insults about those thugs who ruined my more expensive burger care of Jun. But for a hungry soul, even the cheapest burger could be the finest. I then looked at Aiba, who was watching me intently with innocent eyes.  
  
“You know,” I started, “we should sit somewhere.”  
  
He nodded vigorously, so vigorously that his head might fall off. We both walked towards the nearest bus station and sat on the bench. I grabbed some coins and got some soda from the vendo machine. I offered him one.  
  
Aiba momentarily looked at me, and then at the offered drink, before looking back to me to say “Thanks.” We both silently ate the humble meal.  
  
“Kaze-san,” he started.  
  
“Hmm…?”  
  
“When are we going to play?” he asked. He looked at me like a little preschool kid. But we both knew what ‘play’ meant in this sense.  
  
I tried to hide my surprise. Leader did not tell me anything about fighting Aiba. I was just here to gather information. But then, I’m not a coward; I can send this bastard to the ground. “When do you want to play?” I asked him with a smirk.  
  
He gave his beautiful smile. Later on, I would always think that that smile probably was always the last thing his opponents would see before waking up in a hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

**KAZE**  
  
That was the first time I saw Aiba in his full glory. He was laughing maniacally as the group of students were lying on the ground. Some of them were unconscious but some of them were writhing in pain. He picked one up by the hair, holding him with his bloody fist, and forcefully pushing his head down so that it would hit the cemented road.  
  
It was dark but I immediately recognized some of those boys. They were from my junior high school. “What…” I breathed out.  
  
Aiba grabbed the baseball bat from one of the yankees and continued hitting them. It was actually too much for me. You don’t hit guys who are already on the ground. But I was watching this man, the same man who gave me the pinwheel and the burger, the same man who always gave me that innocent smile, beating them mercilessly that they could be as good as dead.  
  
I won’t let him descend to be a murderer.  
  
“STOP THAT!” I shouted. It seemed uncool for me but worry was etched on my face. Worry not for the other yankees on the ground but for Aiba. The cray man dropped the bat and looked at me, his head tilted to one side as if he did not know why I called him off. He looked at me, a smile on his lips. That smile made me freeze. It would be  _impossible_  for me to run from a fight but here I was, my right foot all ready to step backward once he would go towards me.  
  
“Ne, Kaze-san, are you mad?” he asked me. That simple question that sounded innocent some days ago now seemed to be like a threat.  
  
“Aiba-san…”  
  
“I thought we’re friends. I thought you’re going to call me ‘Aiba-chan’…” He sounded hurt but his face was still that killer mask. True enough, he started walking towards me.  
  
“Aiba-chan…” I breathed out. “What are you doing?” I didn’t know what I even wanted to know in this question.  
  
“They said they wanted to play with me,” he said like a kid who was trying to explain himself. “I think I won this game…”  
  
“But why…?” I asked him. “You don’t have a reason for fighting?” That was Leader’s number one rule in Arashi: fighting should have a reason.  
  
He pouted his lips and made a sound as if he was thinking. He looked up. “Ah!” he said. “I have…” he started. He then laughed once again. I really hated that laugh. It’s a laugh that you would only probably hear inside a mental hospital. “I forgot! I forgot!”  
  
“Aiba-chan…”  
  
“Ne, Kaze-san, play with me,” he said. Aiba started to walk forward. This time, I could not even walk away. “Play with me now. I’m bored with these bullies...”  
  
At that moment, I wanted Leader to actually be with me. I didn’t know if I could beat Aiba. Leader was another monster but this Aiba was different. If I don’t win this fight, I might even die. Furthermore, I don’t know what Aiba was actually capable of. What if he does something unimaginable with Leader?  
  
I sighed and looked at the ground. “Fine. I’ll play with you.” I removed the white jacket I was wearing, revealing the embroidered kanji of my fight club. I dropped my DS on the jacket and rotated my head as warm up. I was trying to act cool but inside, I was really scared.  
  
“If Kaze-san wins, Aiba-chan will stop, okay?” he said. “Pinky swear.” He held out his pinky. I did not respond to him.  
  
I held out my finger and gestured him to come forward. The last thing I saw was his sweet smile before he came charging towards me.  
  
He held me tight in his arms and pushed me towards the wall. Aiba then started to use the wall as his weapon, hitting any visible parts of my body to the hard surface. In retaliation, I used my knee to hit him in the abdomen. He staggered to the side but he looked at me with that crazy smile and ran towards me again.  
  
I noticed that he did not even have a distinct fighting style. Just hit and hit. He did not even try to defend himself; he just let himself fall on the ground, stand up, smile, and attack once again. It was actually exhausting for me to fight someone who did not really have something new hidden in their mind. I would hit him successfully, but like a daruma, he would stand up and smile again.  
  
In a way, I thought Aiba-chan was stupid.  
  
“You’re a devil, Kaze-san!” he said with a laugh before he tried to kick me. Hell, he was fast! I thought I was able to dodge that kick but it was able to reach my head, knocking me down.  
  
“Ah, it’s done?” he said in confusion as he looked at me, on all fours, on the cold, hard ground. “I thought we can play longer, Kaze-san.”  
  
“Damn…” I muttered. I would never accept defeat. If the other kings knew that I was beaten by this guy, I would be humiliated. And Leader… Leader placed a lot of faith in me. I could never lose. I coughed and saw blood on the cement.  
  
“Kaze~san?” I heard his voice. It sounded like a kid who wanted to play but was not allowed to do so.  
  
“Pull yourself together, Ninomiya Kazunari,” I told myself through gritted teeth. I mustered all my strength and stood up, facing Aiba, who started to clap happily at my revival.  
  
“Let’s play again, Kaze-san!” he said brightly. His face turned dark. “This time, take it seriously!”  
  
It was my turn to smirk. I let Aiba run towards him to attack but I used my speed to get out of the way and gave him a downwards kick to send him to the ground. I then gave another kick before he could get up, sending him towards the wall.  
  
I watched him silently, watched his heavy breathing as he just sat there. Normally, I would smirk and say something towards my opponent but Aiba just made me feel a little upset that I had to hurt him like that. Even though he could actually kill me.  
  
“Not… yet… done…” he said, standing up. I approached him. I wanted to tell him that it’s over and he lost. I watched him crawl up, using my leg as his support.  
  
It was really unexpected. He bit my leg, making me kick him again as if I was attacked by ants. It was a moment of disorientation so he was able to push me down, straddling me and punching me afterwards.  
  
“Kaze-san… so cute…” he giggled as he leaned closer to my face. Then a packed punch came to my cheek. I used my arms to block his attacks. I finally succeeded on standing up and I made sure that he would not be able to stand up again by giving him a spinning axe kick that sent him to the ground.  
  
He was motionless for some time. I watched him attentively while I tried to catch my breath. I was on alert as I watched him sit. He looked at me with his chocolate brown eyes that seemed to glow nicely. It was a weird positive feeling, even though his face was stained with dried blood from the opponents and from me.  
  
“Kaze-san… sugoii!” he said, clapping his hands while laughing. “Amazing… amazing!” He then stood up and tried to walk. However, he was probably that hurt that his legs gave up. I immediately caught him.  
  
“Let me help you,” I said kindly, a voice only reserved for Leader before. I helped him sit on the bench. “Aiba-chan?”  
  
“Kaze-san, you beat me in my game. I am so happy…” he said weakly in between his laughs. “Aiba-chan promises to be with you always!”  
  
“What?”  
  
Before I could even stop it, I found Aiba’s lips on mine. It was a simple peck on the lips but it was enough to stop me from thinking about  _anything_. If Leader finds out about this, I would definitely be humiliated by his teasing looks!  
  
“Ne, Kaze-san, that is my promise to you. Aiba-chan will be with you FOREVER!” he said happily.  
  
At first, I was dumbfounded. This was not I was expecting. But then, I regained composure and remembered the real purpose why I had to fight him. “So… you will join Arashi?”  
  
“I will go through any storm or tsunami or earthquake! Just for Kaze-san!” he said.  
  
“Stupid. Arashi is the name of the fight club,” I just said, hitting my new comrade playfully. Aiba giggled once again. It was as if the demon he fought earlier disappeared in a flash.  
  
Like I said, he was worse than Toma’s mood swings. I wonder why.


	4. Chapter 4

AIBA  
  
I really, really, really, really, really, one thousand times really love Kaze-san. He took my hand and led me to the topmost floor of the school. I didn’t even know that there was that floor! I didn’t know because I haven’t been inside the school.  
  
I looked around me and everyone was staring at me as if I was scary. Was I really that scary? If I was, then why was Kaze-san holding my hand? He wasn’t scared of me, right?  
  
“Aiba-chan. I will let you meet Leader,” he said as we stopped in front of a sliding door that contained kanji. That was the same kanji on Kaze’s nice uniform! He used his sleeve to attempt to wipe the dried blood from my face but it was no use. I just whimpered as he rubbed too hard.  
  
“Who is Leader?” I asked curiously.  
  
“Ah, he’s the president of the club.”  
  
“And Kaze-san?”  
  
“I am the vice president.”  
  
“So, if I join the club, I will be… the second gentleman?”  
  
Kaze looked at me in confusion. “What?” he repeated.  
  
“I know how to read, Kaze-san,” I said with a pout. “The vice president’s partner is called the ‘second lady or gentleman’.”  
  
I watched him become red. It was too cute. “Shut up, you stupid, crazy, guy!” he hissed. He cleared his throat and placed his hand on the knob. “Aiba-chan, before we enter, I have one thing to say to you.”  
  
“What is it, Kaze-san?”  
  
“Promise me never ever to fight Leader.  _Never_ ,” he said with a serious face.  
  
“Why will I?” I asked him.  
  
“Just promise me!”  
  
“Pinky swear?” I said, “Or kiss?” Those two gestures are my symbols of promises.  
  
“I’d rather have the pinky swear,” he said with cold sweat. We did the act before he opened the door. I squinted because the sunlight was hiding Leader in the shadows.  
  
The leader stood up (he wasn’t really that tall) and he held out a chain towards me. “Welcome to Arashi, Aiba-chan.”  
  
My face lit up and I saw the guy. “You are that guy! Sakano-san!”  
  
“Sakano-san?” Kaze tried to hide his sniggers. “You know him, Leader?”  
  
I explained to Kaze. “He’s Ohno and he likes fish. So I gave him the nickname ‘Sakano’!”  
  
“Cut it out!” Sakano-san glared at the vice president. “Aiba-chan, I think I would prefer you calling me ‘Leader’,” he said.  
  
“Oh. Okay. Leader, I’m the second gentleman,” I said with a bow.  
  
“Aiba-chan, will you fucking shut up?” Kaze said. Leader looked at him and I saw the guy smirk at my partner.  
  
“Kaze, I didn’t know you got married. Where was the honeymoon? In a BDSM dungeon?”  
  
“What is BDSM?” I asked curiously.  
  
“SHUT UP!” Kaze shouted once again. He was as red as a beet. “Aiba-chan. You are NOT a second gentleman. You are the First King of Arashi. So please, shut up. We’re not married or anything, okay?”  
  
I nodded at Kaze-san. “Okay, if Kaze-san says so!”  
  
The door opened once again and three new people entered. Leader happily introduced the other kings. The Fourth King was Matsujun.  
  
“Hi, J! I am Aiba-chan!”  
  
“Wait, you’re calling me J?”  
  
“Yeah!” I answered happily. I will call him J because Matsujun is three syllables. Anyway, he really looked so cool with his scowl and his thick eyebrows. He was wearing a tiger print coat. I just hoped it did not come from a real tiger.  
  
He just scowled at me before going to his seat. His seat was like a peacock. It really fitted him.  
  
“Hello, I am Toma!” the Third King introduced himself. He seemed really cheerful. I like him. He was holding an apple. “Do you like apples, Aiba-chan?” he asked, offering his.  
  
I was about to take the apple when Kaze snatched it and threw it out of the window. “Toma, you’re not trying to cause diarrhea or something?”  
  
“No. of course not,” he said with a smile. He patted my head and said, “I’ll buy you one, Aiba-chan.”  
  
The Second King went towards me meekly. He seemed not that strong but I felt shivers when he placed a hand on my shoulder. It was weird because he immediately took away his hand and looked at me with scared eyes.  
  
“That’s Pi,” Leader said. He frowned at the man and then gave a serious nod before going back to his chair, a simple cushioned chair.  
  
“Ah, Kaze-san sits here, ne?” I said as I saw the chair wrapped in silvery silk cloth. “I will sit… here!” I sat on the floor beside the chair. I heard J snort in laughter.  
  
Leader sat on his own chair and said, “Well, if that’s what you want, Aiba-chan.”  
  
“So… what do we do around here?”  
  
“Play…” Kaze said. He took his DS from his pocket and started playing. I frowned. That was not my definition of playing.  
  
It was Sakano… I mean Leader’s turn to grab my hand. “Come with me first, Aiba-chan. I want to talk to you about something.”  
  
Both of us were at the rooftop. Leader leaned on the metal railings. He motioned me to come closer. “What is it, Leader-chan?”  
  
He almost snorted in laughter when he heard my new affectionate name for him. He’s one of the very few persons whom I allowed to call me Aiba- _chan_. I might allow Toma because he’s nice, probably to Pi but he’s creepy, and probably to Jun because I want his animal print jacket.  
  
“Aiba-chan, do you remember that time on the boat?”  
  
I smiled at him. “Of course, I do. You told me that when you fight, you should fight with a reason.”  
  
He nodded at me and gave me a pat. “But then, I heard that when you fought Kaze, he saw you fighting a group of students. What was that about?”  
  
“Hmm…” I started. “I went back to Ninomiya Kazunari’s old school and beat up the guys who bullied him.”  
  
Leader was surprised. “What?”  
  
“You told me that when Kaze-san was younger, he was bullied. I don’t want anyone hurting Kaze-san,” I said. I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and showed him the page containing Ninomiya Kazunari’s class list. “All of them,” I said proudly.  
  
Leader frowned. “But that was all in the past. I told you before that we should not stick to the past, right?”  
  
“It’s difficult, Leader-chan,” I said, looking at the ground. “Sometimes… sometimes, I can still hear the voices.” I shook my head with my eyes closed. “I could not help it.”  
  
“Sometimes, Kaze can still hear voices as well, Aiba-chan,” Leader said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I was surprised with this new thing I’ve learned about my partner.  
  
I looked at Leader because I suddenly got a wonderful idea. “Leader-chan, I will make sure that Kaze-san and I won’t hear voices anymore!”  
  
“Good. I know you will.”


	5. Chapter 5

KAZE  
  
“Aiba-chan… let… go….” I tried to say. He was strangling me in his sleep. I had been pleading for him to let go but he still would not budge. I have tried punching him but the air was slowly going out of my body.  
  
It was when a stronger force hit him on the head that he woke up. He was gasping for breath when he regained his consciousness, looking around as if he was looking for something. He grabbed the nearest blanket and covered himself while sobbing.  
  
“Are you okay?” Leader asked. I nodded. I could not speak yet because Aiba really did that much.  
  
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.  
  
Leader shook his head. “Maybe I know, maybe I don’t know,” he just said. I really hated his riddles.  
  
“Aiba-chan, Aiba-chan,” I shook him. His eyes slowly fluttered open.  
  
“Ah! What time is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, sitting up. “Ne, Kaze-san, it’s still dark.”  
  
“Fuck you. You just strangled me, I grumbled.  
  
“Did I?” He looked at his hands in shock. “Bad hands! Bad hands!” he said, hitting his own hands in a very weirdly cute way. “I’m so sorry, Kaze-san!” he told me, touching my cheek. “I’m sorry. My hands are just this bad!”  
  
I smiled at him softly and held the hand that was on my cheek earlier. “It’s okay, Aiba-chan.” I looked at him. There was something different about his expression, like he was scared. I had never seen him like that. “Did you have a nightmare?”  
  
He looked at me. Like a kid, he was like an open book. I have read his expression as a screaming  _YES_  but then he looked down and said, “No, Kaze-san. I’m fine. My hands probably want to play or something.”  
  
“You know what? I’ll teach you how to play with this,” I said, grabbing my game console from my bedside.  
  
I don’t know why but I wanted to laugh in the middle of the night when I saw Aiba look at it with confusion. He then put the console to his mouth to bite it.  
  
“THE FUCK!” I yelled, grabbing it away. “This is not food!” I said as I wiped it clean with my shirt. “I’ll teach you how to play this tomorrow but for now, go to sleep! And for god’s sake, Leader, stop snoring like an old man!”  
  
I slept on my side, facing away from Aiba. I could hear his regular breathing. He was probably asleep. I sighed with relief.  
  
However, before I could doze off myself, I heard him murmur. “Don’t take her… take me instead…”


	6. Chapter 6

KAZE  
  
I watched Aiba as he attempted to play with my beloved DS. I was watching him closely because 1) he might break it; 2) I still could not forget his murmurs the other night.  
  
“Eh? I died again?” he said with an innocent voice. He looked at me as if looking for an answer. I was letting him sit on my chair while I sat on the stool. No one was inside the room except for the two of us.  
  
“You do suck in this kind of game, Aiba-chan,” I said with a smirk. He pouted at me.  
  
He sighed. “I guess Kaze-san beats me in three kinds of games…”  
  
 _Three?_  Why did he say that? The first one was probably about fighting, the second one about the DS. What was the third one?  
  
My mind was lifted from those thoughts when I saw Leader enter. He saw the two of us and he gave his teasing smile that I really hated.  
  
“How’s the newlyweds?” he asked. I glared at him in reply. Aiba probably did not hear him because he was busy beating the final boss (in the first level because he really sucked at it). “You two were so noisy last night I could not sleep!”  
  
Yeah, Aiba-chan also started to live in the same flat. I really did not know where he lived before that but Leader told me he found him sleeping in a boat before.  
  
The other three kings entered the room an hour later and we just stayed there and did our own thing. I watched as Aiba tried to converse with the others. He seemed to be really comfortable with Toma because in reality, he was really a nice person if you don’t provoke him. Aiba was trying to wrestle the small pocket knife that the king used to peel apples.  
  
“Leader…” I breathed out as I saw him clutch his forehead. “Are you okay?”  
  
It was probably the trick of the light but I thought I saw his expression change from pain to joy. He hit his forehead a few times. “I’m gonna have a heat stroke if we stay in this room the whole day…” he said.  
  
I dragged him up by the collar and said, “Hey, Leader, I think we should go out then,” I said. After Aiba came to the group, I thought I spent less time with our leader. I kinda miss fighting with him.  
  
“What we gonna do?” he asked groggily.  
  
“Have fun?” I slapped my forehead when I saw that glint in his eyes. “No, I’m not going to take you to the bay. I need to release tension. As in right now.”  
  
Leader looked disappointed. I hated boats with a passion so I would not take him there.  _Definitely_.  
  
“Eh, Leader-chan and Kaze-san are leaving?” Aiba asked. He looked up at his game. I saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes.  
  
“Uh, yeah,” I managed to say. “I leave you in charge, Matsujun.”  
  
“Yeah, right. Whatever,” he just replied as he polished his skull ring. “I don’t really want to sweat right now so I’m gonna stay in this room. Fuck, it’s hot.”  
  
“Buy an air conditioner then,” I snapped at the diva. He was the richest among us so if he could, he could actually donate air conditioner to our club room. I might consider living the school if he did.  
  
“Toma, do take care of Aiba-chan for me,” I said. The man smiled and nodded.  
  
“I brought some grapes. Hope he likes it,” he responded.  
  
Leader stopped walking when we reached the tunnel below the bridge. “What’s wrong, Kaze? Nightmares?”  
  
“Yeah, and more,” I replied. I picked up a rock and threw it to the river.  
  
“But you seem to be at ease when you’re with Aiba…”  
  
“Why did we even have to recruit him?” I asked the Arashi leader.  
  
He gave an all-knowing smile. “Well, he’s strong. But he has a mind of a child.”  
  
“He’s a high school student… with a mind of a child.”  
  
“No, it’s not like that,” Leader replied. “He went through a lot of things. He’s strong but I want to control him. Not for my sake, but for his own sake.”  
  
I nodded in agreement. “That… that kind of strength. He could actually kill someone if he loses control.”  
  
“Yeah. That’s was what I was talking about,” he replied.  He looked at me. “Have you seen him fight like that?”  
  
I closed my eyes and recalled that night. “He was a monster.”  
  
“Yeah, and I’m Kaibutsu-kun,” Leader replied while waving a hand floppily. I glared at him once again. “What? I love that anime!” I knew that he was trying to make the atmosphere lighter. I think he was successful because after a few seconds, I could not stop myself from laughing because he was singing the old anime’s theme song.  
  
“There, there, Kaze-chan is laughing,” he said with a big grin. “Kaze, remember this. I know that Aiba is a monster. You are too, I am one too. But don’t forget that we’re  _high school students_. As a high school student, we have all the liberty to have fun. Aiba-chan is having fun already. Why don’t you too?”  
  
He cocked his head towards the park near the tunnel. They both saw Aiba along with the other three kings. They were playing with a stray dog. Aiba was actually the only one playing with the dog. Toma was laughing at him, Jun was on the bench, probably cursing the heat, and Pi was silently watching. I have noticed how piercing Pi’s eyes were when they fall on Aiba’s face. Yamapi was another thing, but this was the  _normal_  Pi.  
  
“Leader, is there another reason why you asked me to recruit Aiba?” I asked, not looking at him. Things were getting more confusing. “Is there something you know that I don’t know?”  
  
He shrugged. “I wonder.”


	7. Chapter 7

AIBA  
  
I tried my best not to look like I was watching. I looked at Leader and Kaze, they were so awfully close. I felt a weird beating in my chest. Thump. Thump. Thump. Very fast and very painful.  
  
It was the same feeling when I met Ninomiya-san years ago. But it was more awful. When I was with him, my heart was beating fast but it was a good feeling, like when you were running so fast and you get to the finish line just in time.  
  
But this time, it was worse. It was a loud thumping that echoed with the voices in my head.  _“Kill… kill… kill…”_  
  
“Ahhh…” I said aloud to block the voices. Kaze looked at me. There was a sign of worry on his face but not as intense as the look he gave when Leader suddenly staggers and sits on his chair to hold his head. Maybe Leader was beaten up badly. He needed a hospital, not Kaze-san.  
  
But I do need Kaze-san. I feel like I would go crazy if he disappears in my life  _once again_.  
  
 _“He’s in the way…”_  
  
I looked up slowly and looked at Leader who was busily drawing. There were only the two of us in the room as Kaze had left to do some errands.  
  
“Leader-chan?”  
  
“Hmm…” he acknowledged my call.  
  
“Will you play with me?” I asked him nonchalantly. I knew that I caught his attention as the scratching of pencil on paper stopped. He looked up. There was no sign of fear or anything in his eyes as he looked at me, just a plain look. It was as if he was wondering what had gotten in my head.  
  
“Is there a  _reason_  why you will be fighting with me?” he asked, emphasizing on the word. I do remember him and Kaze telling me that there should be a reason to fight. That was why Arashi don’t fight against small fries unless provoked. I remembered my pinky promise with Kaze about not fighting Leader as well. But I did not care anymore.  
  
 _“He’s in the way…”_  the voices in my head whispered.  
  
My hands that were resting on the silvery cloth of Kaze’s chair grasped on them. There was a glint in his eyes and he smirked. He probably knew the answer all along. I was beginning to think that Leader knew everything by just one look. I thought only Pi could do that magic but Leader could also do that.  
  
“I don’t know… I just want to…” I lied.  
  
He smiled wider. “Hmm… maybe I still have to teach you a lesson or two about fighting  _with_ a reason.” He stood up and opened the door at the side of the room. We referred to that room as the sacred fight room. He made me enter first and then he went inside after me, closing the door behind him as quietly as possible.  
  
The room was bathed in yellow light coming from the sun. The logo of the fight club was on the floor and hanging on the far side was a flag of Yano High.  
  
“Let me make this clear, Aiba-chan,” he started as he flexed his fingers. We were circling around each other. I was looking at him with a primal desire to destroy him. “If I win, you will tell me everything.”  
  
“Ne, Leader-chan, are you mad?” I asked him with a laugh. He did not seem to be intimidated at all but it was okay. I would be ending this. Kaze will be mine.  
  
I ran towards him but before I could grab him, he was able to do a graceful back flip that eventually became a kick that hit my face.  I looked up at him and his serene or goofy face was blank. It was as if he was a different person.  
  
He did not even give me an opportunity to hurt him. I just felt as if he was attacking me at the same time. All my movements were stopped before I could even lay a finger on him. He stood before me like an unbeatable monster as I lay on the ground, gasping for breath and squirming in pain.  
  
Suddenly, I saw him clutch his forehead in pain. He lost his balance. It was my chance. I stood up and grabbed his head to smash to the nearby table. However, before I could throw him, a strong backhanded slap came to my face, making me fall down.  
  
I looked up, touching my cheek and saw Kaze. His face was beyond anger. It was the first time I saw him with that expression.  
  
“Never fight Leader ever again!” he yelled, his fist flying to my face. I closed my eyes, ready for his punishment. It did not come. I opened my eyes and saw his fist just a few centimeters from my nose. I looked at him and I saw his eyes glistening, as if tears were threatening to fall down.  
  
“Kaze, Kaze, it’s okay,” I heard Leader whisper while he rubbed my friend’s back. Kaze kneeled in front of me and hugged me.  _Tight_. I heard him trying to choke back a sob.  
  
“Never fight Leader ever again.  _Never_ ,” he said. “Do you understand that, Aiba-chan?” he confirmed, looking at my eyes as he held my shoulders tight. “You promised me right, Aiba-chan? Didn’t you remember?”  
  
At that moment, I understood. Kaze did not stop me because he wanted Leader to be safe. He stopped me because he wanted to keep me safe from Leader.  
  
We both heard the door close. Leader had left us in the sacred room. I looked at Kaze, my lip quivering. “Kaze-san, I am so sorry. I’m sorry I broke my promise. Aiba-chan is bad.”  
  
He shook his head and I saw tears falling down on his face. “Why did you do that?” he asked me.  
  
“I… I…” I just started wailing noisily, letting Kaze rub my back to comfort me. “I don’t want Leader to take Kaze-san away from me!” I continued crying. It was really an ugly cry but I could not help myself. “Aiba-chan wants to be with Kaze-san always… forever…!”  
  
I was silenced by Kaze’s soft lips. He kissed me in the same way a butterfly lands on your skin and flies away as fast. “I promise I will be with you always…” he said in almost a whisper. “I promise.”


	8. Chapter 8

KAZE  
  
That bastard.  
  
I saw him walking out of his handsome car, laughing as if nothing happened, surrounded by pretty young girls that were probably forced to be there. I balled my fists. I really wanted to hurt him then and there.  
  
“Ahh… it fell…” came the innocent sounding voice of my companion. I saw Aiba-chan crouching down, looking at the ice cream cone that fell on the ground.  
  
“You’re so clumsy, Aiba-chan,” I just told him, rubbing my temple. It was an innate talent of his: being able to calm me down by his clumsy antics. If it were another underling, I would have kicked him. But then, Aiba was not an ordinary person. He is not my underling. He is my friend.  
  
If I could rank my friends, I would put Leader at the top, like the leader that he was. But sometimes, I get confused where Aiba would be placed. He could be the second one, but then sometimes, I could feel that he was crawling his way to the top, the same way he crawled towards me on the breakwater.  
  
I looked back at the spot where I saw the man that I hated but he was gone, even the car. “What are you looking at, Kaze-san?” Aiba asked curiously.  
  
“Nothing,” I lied. He looked at my eyes. I sometimes wonder if he had Pi’s ability to get into your soul, or if he was just observant like Leader. I could not lie to him. Well, fair enough, he could not lie that well either.  
  
“So, Kaze-san, another ice cream?”  
  
“Shut up. If you want to get free food, go suck it up to MatsuJun,” I said as we walked back.  
  
He frowned. “Kaze-san, MatsuJun just sneers at me.”  
  
“He’s a softie, don’t worry,” I said with a dry laugh.  
  
Aiba suddenly stopped walking. He looked up and around him. I watched him, confused about the way he was acting. I almost gasped when he grabbed my hand and I felt that he was really cold.  
  
“Kaze-san, let’s get away from here,” he said. I looked at him and I knew that he was really pale and shaking. I wonder if he saw a ghost. I looked around me and felt upset as well.  
  
That was the same place, the same street, where my life was destroyed.  
  
We went back to school and saw Leader looking at the window. He turned around and gave a memo to me.  
  
“I guess Aiba-chan still has a long way to go,” he said, patting the other king’s head affectionately.  
  
I read the note. It was a suspension notice from the principal. Actually, it was the second suspension notice. We all knew that a third notice would eventually lead to expulsion.  
  
“If Aiba-chan gets involved in another fight within the 30-day suspension notice, he will be doomed,” Leader explained calmly. It was a big problem for him even though he did not show it. He was also fond of the guy.  
  
“What a pain in the ass,” I hissed, looking at the troublemaker. He smiled at me guiltily. “Don’t worry, Leader, I’ll make sure this git doesn’t get into trouble within the 30-day period.”  
  
“How about the 31st day?” Aiba asked curiously. It sounded stupid, I know.  
  
“If you keep your fists to yourself, I’ll let your steam off on the 31st day,” I said with a bored voice. I took my console and sat on my chair to start playing.  
  
“So… Kaze-san will play with me on the 31st day?” he asked excitedly.  
  
“Uh-huh,” I just responded as I was busily beating up my opponent. “That is if you don’t fight anyone until the 30th day.”  
  
“I promise!” Aiba jumped out of his place and jumped on me in order to give his ‘promise kiss’. It was really embarrassing; I could hear Leader’s laugh from the background. The crazy king then went towards the wall where a calendar was. Using a marker, he placed an X-mark on this date and then a circle mark on the day a month from now. Knowing his behavior, he would really stick to the rules.  
  
It does confuse me why this yankee, this guy who can beat up people mercilessly, follows every word that I say. But Aiba is like a small child. I think that children get attached to you when you show them something.  
  
Comfort. Affection. Love.  
  
I looked at Aiba who was now on my lap, reading a small book. He looked at me with a smile before looking at the book one again. I found myself smiling as well as I ran my hands through his hair softly. I noticed his earring, a small stud that was color red. Red from blood, I supposed. It was a common earring but it also reminded me of something very important.  
  
“Aiba-chan, will you come with me?” I asked him after a while. Leader also looked up. He then smiled.  
  
“Where are we going?”  
  
“I’ll visit my sister.” Leader’s eyes met mine. For a moment, I thought there was a sudden inexplicable surprise. He then gave an approving nod.  
  
Aiba stood up. “You have an onee-chan too?” he said in excitement. “I want to meet her!”  
  
“She’s dead, Aiba-chan. I’ll visit her grave.”  
  
“Ah, I see…” he said, his tension going down. “You will let Aiba-chan come?”  
  
I nodded. “Let’s go. We might be late.”  
  
“Let’s buy a lot of flowers for your onee-chan!” he said excitedly as he tailed me out of the room. We rode a bus to the grave and he helped me pick beautiful white flowers. We walked up the stairs and we finally stopped I front of a tombstone. I fixed the altar and wiped the picture frame to make it clean.  
  
“Here it is.”  
  
 _Ninomiya Kazue_  
  
I watched Aiba pay respects to the grave but what bewildered me was when he sat near it and stroked the tombstone. I saw a small smile on his face and his mouth moving in a soft whisper that I could not hear.  
  
“Let’s give Kazue onee-chan a lot of flowers then!” he said as he looked at me with a bright smile. I gave him the bouquet and he placed it neatly in the middle.  
  
“Kazue onee-chan…” I repeated. I could not help but smile. I do miss my sister. I suddenly remembered that laughing bastard, enjoying himself, while here I was, wallowing in sadness. No amount of money could bring back my sister.  
  
“Kaze-san, are you okay?” he asked me, touching my back.  
  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered. “Now, you’ve met my sister…”  
  
“I also have an onee-chan too,” he replied brightly. “She’s the kindest, purest, most beautiful girl ever!”  
  
“Hmpph, my sister is better than her…”  
  
“I can’t say it’s like that,” he replied in a sad tone that made my eyebrows come together. Sometimes, Aiba-chan tends to say stuff that were like riddles. Leader-level riddles. His facial expression changed like a light switch and he placed an arm over my shoulder. “Hora, Kaze-san, treat me to some ice cream!”  
  
“No way!”  
  
He pouted at me and I felt like I could not resist that one. I groaned and I let him steer me to the nearest convenience store to get some ice cream.  
  
I noticed something on his shoulder. “Is this a big piece of dirt?” I asked him.  
  
“Kaze-san, that’s my birthmark! It makes Aiba-chan unique,” he said proudly.  
  
“Ohh…” I managed to say. It was an odd birthmark but this one… you would not mistake him for someone else if you see it.  
  
I found it beautiful and oddly familiar at the same time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of rape and abuse. Please read with discretion.

AIBA  
  
“Ne, Masaki-chan, I’m going to give this to you…”  
  
“But Onee-chan, this is your food.”  
  
“Onee-chan is already full. Don’t worry,” she said with a sweet smile. Our moment of peace was disturbed by the arrival of a few men. They took my onee-chan by the wrist and dragged her up.  
  
“Let me see what we have for sale…” one of them breathed near her face.  
  
“NO! Onee-chan!” I pleaded as they tried to drag her off the room.  
  
“Masaki, get away from here!” she said, pushing me so that they would not hurt me. I ran towards one of the men and bit his leg, making him yell in pain. He kicked me.  
  
“Stop it! Onee-chan!” I screamed in terror as the men started to tear off her dress. I watched her thrash about, trying to defend herself but it was no use. They were too strong.  
  
I could not let anything bad happen to her.  
  
“Masaki! No!” I heard her shout as I pulled her away.  
  
“Don’t take her! Take me instead…” I pleaded. One of the men grabbed my onee-chan to stop her from getting to me.  
  
The man smirked, grabbing my face. “This kid looks cute… and fresh. He might like this one.” I closed my eyes. I knew what I was going for.  
  
But my onee-chan, my pure, sweet onee-chan, I could not let her be dirtied by these men.  
  
I’d rather take the pain.  
  
I could hear her screaming. She was trying to grab my hand as I was led away by these evil men. That was the last time I felt the warmth of her touch.  
  
I was taken to a room illuminated by dim red light. One would mistake this as hell. The air was filled with the scent of tobacco that I despised. The room was warm but my body was cold. I grasped the sheets in pain. I wonder, how do people derive pleasure from hurting others? How can they feel ecstasy while hurting someone else?  
  
I felt this man touch my spine and it made me feel awful. I heard him laugh as I shuddered.  
  
“You’re my new favorite,” he whispered to my ear before he continued violating me.  
  
But I smiled a little. I am doing this for my onee-chan. I am worthless compared to her.  
  
 _***_  
  
“Aiba-chan? Aiba-chan?”  
  
I grasped Kaze’s hand a little tighter. He had that same warmth as my onee-chan, as expected.  
  
“Aiba-chan, you were talking in your sleep. Is everything alright?” he asked in almost a whisper. I sat up from the futon and looked around me. I was not in that red-colored room anymore. I was in the comforting darkness of our shared flat.  
  
“Ahh… I don’t know. I forgot,” I replied to him with a small smile. “I have an idea, Kaze-san. I’m going to sleep in your futon!”  
  
“Shut up,” he snapped. “My futon is small!” he said. However, I still climbed on his space and took the blanket. “I can’t believe this!” I heard him say. But then, he still went to his futon and lay down beside me.  
  
I wanted to hug Kaze right there because I thought if I touch him, I would not revive my nightmares. However, before I could do so, I found him placing his arm around me.  
  
“Oi, don’t think of anything!” he muttered.  
  
I smiled before I fell asleep. It was actually effective. I did not have nightmares.  
  
***  
  
I looked at the sun directly. It hurt my eyes but I did not care. I really loved the sun. A lot of people would take it for granted but for someone who spent less time under the sun, it was a gift being bathed by its warmth.  
  
“Oi! Isn’t that one of the kings of Arashi?” I heard a voice from afar. I looked to the left and saw a bunch of yankees from another school. They were carrying pathetic bats and planks. I could not care less about their weapons but I remember Leader telling me that weapons are for weaklings.  
  
Oh, yeah. I do admit using random stuff to hit people. But I could live without bats or planks. Swords and daggers were different things, of course. Whips would hurt but they would spoil the fun.  
  
“If we beat you, we can boast around Tokyo that we have beaten Yano High,” one of them said. I raised both of my eyebrows in response.  
  
“That’s the most illogical thing that I’ve ever heard,” I muttered. I didn’t know if he heard that. Besides, if these guys beat me up, there’s still Kaze-san, and ultimately, Leader.  
  
The thing is that, I also had the pride of a King and Kaze and Leader did not give me the title of the “First King” for nothing. I was supposed to be the gateway before these small fries could reach the vice president and the president.  
  
However, I also promised Kaze-san that I would wait for the 31st day before I could beat people up.  
  
I was probably thinking too much that I did not notice a bat hitting my jaw. What a loser. He did not even wait for me.  
  
“How annoying…” I muttered as I stood up.  The memo just said I could not fight but I could still do something to defend myself, right?  
  
I swiftly made my way up to the monkey bars, letting them chase me. They were really slowpokes. I just laughed and laughed at them as they tried to get me but no one could, except for that guy who hit my jaw while I was thinking.  
  
“Hey, are you mad?” I asked them as I perched on the topmost part of the monkey bars. I jumped down and crouched as they tried to attack me.  
  
“Too slow. How are you gonna fight Kaze-san with that speed?” I asked them with a smile on my face. My smile became wider when I saw some of them freezing. Kaze-san once told me that I scare other people.  I think I should use this ability for now so that I did not have to fight them.  
  
However, one of them suddenly hit me, making me fall down from my position. I fell on the ground, and I felt like my back was broken into pieces.  
  
“This is bad…” I just murmured when I saw them closing in on me. They started kicking and hitting me.  
  
 _“Fight them…”_  I heard voices in my head.  
  
 _“I promised Kaze-san that I won’t…”_  
  
 _“Kill them. Nobody will know…”_  
  
I could feel the red hot pain from my head to my toes. These thugs would not stop hitting me until I stop moving or something.  
  
 _“But… Kaze-san…”_  
  
I reached out my hand to no one in particular. There was already light in front of my eyes, meaning, the guys who were surrounded me disappeared. I just heard them groaning in pain, along with sounds of punches and kicks.  
  
I felt someone help me up and half-carried me towards a bench at the side of the park.  
  
“Ka…ze-san…?” I started. My eyesight was blurry and I did not know what to think anymore.  
  
“Are you alright?” the voice asked. It was not Kaze-san. Not even Leader or the others. It was a different voice, deep and laced with worry. I could make out a pearl necklace on his neck.  
  
“Hey?” he asked again. I blinked a few times to try to erase the blur and I was able to see him clearly. He sighed in relief. “I’m glad you’re still alive,” he said. “Do you need to go to the hospital?”  
  
I shook my head. I really hated hospitals. I observed the man quietly. He was probably a student, just like me. He did not look like a yankee high school student, thought. There was a book on the bench, probably his.  
  
“Nadegata…” I murmured.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I will call you Nadegata. Thank you, Nadegata!” I said. I was really grateful that he saved me before I could lay a fist on those small fries.  
  
He gave an exasperated sigh. “Please don’t call me Nadegata.” He looked at his watch. “Umm, I’m sorry, I have to leave you here,” he said. He handed his handkerchief to me. “Make sure you won’t get into trouble, okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” I replied, still in a haze.  
  
The student ran off, leaving me in the park. I kinda dozed off but minutes later, I woke up with a pair of eyes looking directly at me.  
  
“Ahh! Pi-san, you scared me!” I said. He looked at me with those scary eyes.  
  
“You did not get into trouble, did you?” he asked me. Of course, my appearance would be like someone who did trouble. A bruised face and hurting back was too obvious; Pi did not need to touch me to know.  
  
I shook my head. “I promised Kaze-san that I will not fight anyone for 30 days.”  
  
“I see,” he said. He helped me stand up. “I’ll take you home. I can prove to them that you did not fight those guys. I just wonder how you survived being beaten up like that.”  
  
“Nadegata helped me,” I replied to him. I handed him the handkerchief and I found him gripping it a little tight.  
  
“Interesting,” he said with a small smile. “Let’s go, Aiba-san. It’s already dark.”  
  
I found Kaze-san running towards me when I reached the apartment. He kept on muttering things like ‘fuck those assholes’, ‘I’m gonna kill them,’ while he placed ice on my swollen cheek. It actually hurt because it was like he was continuously hitting me with a rock.  
  
“Oww!”  
  
“Kaze, your opponents are those thugs from Shikino High, not Aiba-chan,” Leader chuckled.  
  
“I’m sorry…” he said, placing the ice bag down. “What the hell happened, Aiba-chan?” he asked me. It made me feel special because Kaze-san looked at me with a concerned look. He shot a look at Pi, who was sitting silently as if he was meditating.  
  
“I can just vouch for Aiba-san. He did not fight those guys. Not once,” he said. “Something about 30 days…?”  
  
“So… who beat up those guys?” Kaze asked curiously as he dabbed some antiseptic on my wound. He saw the handkerchief and glanced at Pi, who just gave a small shrug.  
  
“Saa… I wonder if he’s that guy from Minato…” Leader said as he placed his arms behind his head, letting his body fall on the tatami mat.  
  
It was later that evening when I saw the handkerchief in the trash bin.


	10. Chapter 10

KAZE  
  
What kind of bad luck does Aiba have exactly?  
  
He could not fight within the specified amount of time and these Yankees probably knew about that.  
  
“Don’t fucking move, you idiot!” I shouted at Aiba as I was surrounded by the yankees from a neighboring cheap school. “I’m going to beat you up after this.”  
  
“Sure thing, Kaze-san!” he answered gleefully as he perched on a rock like an oversized cat.  
  
“Oooh… why didn’t you say that you’re having fun, Kaze?” another voice said. I saw Jun leaning on a post.  
  
“Well, if you want to have some fun, take off that oversized fur coat, dipshit!” I snarled. It was summer; why the hell was he wearing a coat?  
  
Jun sneered. He removed the coat and charged towards the group. “Fuck, Kaze, what the hell did you do that these guys are so horny about fighting us?”  
  
“Go and ask Aiba-chan,” I replied as I kicked one of them. “I told him I’m gonna beat him up after this…”  
  
After continuous hits and kicks, the Yankees finally gave up, lying helpless on the ground. Jun and I were leaning on each other.  
  
“Fuck, Aiba, come down and help us!” Jun said, catching his breath. “Damn, those thugs have stamina…”  
  
Aiba immediately went to us. He handed Jun his coat and he went towards me to allow me to put my arm on his shoulder. “Let’s go home, Kaze-san.”  
  
“What about me?”  
  
“You have a driver, fuck off!” I was still able to say. Jun gave the finger before he took his phone to call for his driver.  
  
“Sorry, Kaze-san, you got into trouble because of me,” he apologized. Aiba looks kinda cute when he does this with a pout.  
  
“Well, at least you’re doing your part of the bargain.”  
  
“I just… I just cannot fight them until the 30th day,” he said. “But Kaze-san…”  
  
“Hmmm…?”  
  
 _“No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you, remember that.”_  
  
My eyes widened. My vision was blurry but those words struck me hard before I dozed off due to exhaustion.  
  
***  
  
When was the last time I felt this uneasy? I was running as if the devil was chasing me. No, let me rephrase that. I was running like I was chasing the devil.  _That_ devil.  
  
“Kaze, wait!” I could hear Leader shouting behind me but everything was a blur. The note in my hand was already dilapidated because I grasped on it too tight.  
  
It was like reliving a nightmare all over again.  
  
“Aiba-chan, don’t be such an idiot! I know you can fight them,” I muttered under my breath. But knowing how obedient Aiba was to me, I knew that he would not.  
  
If I ask him to jump off the building, he would probably do so.  
  
I finally stopped running. I found myself standing in front of a bar.  It was a subtle disguise for a human trafficking business. I looked at the place with pure disgust. This was the place where my past life ended.  
  
“Kaze… no… Ninomiya… wait!” Leader said, holding my arm.  
  
“Let me go, Leader,” I snapped.  
  
“You can’t go there. It’s dangerous…” he said. His voice was calm but his hand was shaking. I know that the president cares for my safety.  
  
“But they got Aiba-chan! I can’t let them hurt him…!”  
  
Leader closed his eyes. “Ninomiya, listen to me. Listen to me for once as your president!” he said, emphasizing his position over me.  
  
“I am not Ninomiya. They killed Ninomiya,” I replied. “But I will never let them kill Kaze… and the things he holds dear.”  
  
Leader looked at me. I knew he understood. He gave an approving smile and let go of my arm. “I will always be with you. Arashi will always be behind you,” he said with an all-knowing smile. “I know that you will be able to save Aiba-chan. We’ll be waiting in the apartment, okay?”  
  
“Yes, Leader,” I said, closing my eyes. I did not even know if I could survive this place the same way I did years ago. I did not look back when the president started walking away. I took a deep breath and entered that hell.  
  
My sister’s hell.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11:  
NINO  
  
Running.  
  
I could not stop running. My sister, Kazue, has been missing for a month already. But like a miracle, I saw her. But it was not a complete miracle as she was quickly taken away inside a black car. I did not know how fast or how long I ran. I just wanted to catch them and get my sister back.  
  
I entered a small restaurant. It looked ordinary on the outside but the inside was a different thing. It was a front. What was that place? A brothel? A slave market?  
  
In front of me, I saw a group of men escorting a young boy, perhaps with the same age as me. He looked awful with his shirt hanging loose, revealing a dark mark on his left shoulder. He looked at me for a moment and gave a smile, a smile that was so sick I felt like I could not move. I was afraid for my own life. This young boy who looked traumatized. What if my sister experienced the same treatment?  
  
I could not take my eyes off him. He just smiled at me as if we knew each other for a long time. Then he placed a finger on his lips to signal silence and used that same finger to point to the right. He was then ushered by the men to the other side of the hall.  
  
I ran towards the direction where he pointed at and found myself inside a dungeon with locked doors. “Onee-chan?” I called out. I was hoping I could see her there. I called out several times, anxiously waiting for a response.  
  
“Kazunari?”  
  
I quickly ran towards the direction of her voice. It has been a long time since I last saw my beloved sister. I saw her hand sticking out of the bars of one of the prison cells. “Onee-chan!”  
  
“Kazu! What are you doing here?” she asked. She looked shocked and worried.  
  
“I’m going to get you out of here!”  
  
She shook her head. “You might end up like him! No! Get out of here and save yourself, Kazu!” she hissed.  
  
“Onee-chan, what are you…?”  
  
The woman touched his cheek. “Kazu, I will be fine. There’s no need to worry. I know you’re strong. But your strength is nothing compared to the yakuza. Just… just get out of here and save yourself.”  
  
“Onee-chan, no…”  
  
“For once in your life, listen to me!” she said, her voice rising. “Kazu, listen to me. I’ll be fine. I’ll get out of here. I know I can. But for now, just go! I can’t let them do anything bad to you. I’ve had enough. They took my friend away. If they get you, I don’t think I can have hope to live another day.”  
  
I nodded at her with understanding. “I’ll return here, onee-chan, and I’ll make sure I’ll get you out. I’ll have a plan.”  
  
She smiled at me with a hint of pride. “That’s my Kazu,” she said. She closed her eyes thoughtfully. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you, remember that.”  
  
My sister had always uttered those words to me. But this time, it was ominous. It felt like a last message from her. “Onee-chan, don’t say stuff like that.”  
  
She held my hand tight before she let go. “Quick! They might return.”  
  
I hid behind a broken wall as the men returned with the same boy from earlier. He was thrown inside the same cell as my sister and there was silence. The men left and that was when I heard his cries. It was a mixture of an insane laugh and a cry of pain. I could hear my sister comforting him like how she did when I cried.  
  
How I wanted her to comfort me once again! Who cares if I’m a junior high school student? I just need to have my sister back by my side.  
  
I watched the area and made sure that I got everything right. I would make sure that I would get my sister out of that hell. Who knows what they’ve done to her? I would kill them if they would attempt to take her.  
  
People always told me that as long as the roots are on the ground, weeds will be able to grow.  
  
I found myself inside a room illuminated with red light, with a large bed covered in velvet. In the middle was a figure lying on its stomach. It was the same boy with the distinct mark on his naked shoulder. There was a hollow smile on his face. It was definitely not of pleasure. It was a sick smile that scared me. Nevertheless, I decided to approach him.  
  
“Onee…chan?” he said, holding out his hand. I backed away a bit. He must have realized that I was a different person. “Get away from here…” he said weakly. “Your life… is more important…”  
  
The sound of laughter was slowly approaching us. A man entered the room. “What’s your business here?” he asked me.  
  
“I’m going to save my sister,” I told him, not breaking eye contact.  
  
The man just laughed at me as if I was joking. I could also hear the boy on the bed, whispering, pleading that I should leave.  
  
“Come on. As if a tiny student like you could beat me.”  
  
“Well. Try me,” I breathed out through gritted teeth. Every inch of me was filled with anger. I want to beat this man. I want to kill them to end all of this. Cut the roots of the bad weed.  
  
The man rang a bell and guards clad in suits went in to get the naked boy on the bed. The boss walked out of the room too and I followed him.  His stance was full of arrogance and that made me want to destroy him more. His back was turned towards me, I could do something at that moment.  
  
 _“Kazu, never ever fight someone whose back is behind you,”_ I remembered his sister telling me. Even though I would not have the slightest chance if this guy attacks me point-blank, my sister’s wisdom resonated within me.  
  
I decided that I would fight him to the death and hope that my sister will be able to have a better life once she gets out of this hell.  
  
We entered an area with an intense smell of sin and smoke. The men were looking at us as the boss went up a platform. He motioned me to follow him.  
  
“You know, boy, we use this ring for entertainment purposes,” he said with a smile. “But I never thought I would have to step in here.” There was jeering from the crowd, all rooting to the boss. They were trash-talking me as well. Of course, I am but a junior high school student.  
  
“Let’s see…” he started. “You yankees think you can just fight with your bare fists, huh?” He grabbed a gun from the tray presented to him by one of his servants and pointed it to me. “This won’t be fun this way…” He then took a sword instead.  
  
A servant also went beside me and presented me a variety of weapons. I never used any of these so I felt cold and clammy on the inside. I didn’t want to show him my fear. Like him, I took a sword. It didn’t matter. I just have to stab him or whatever to end all of this.  
  
“How about a little handicap?” he said arrogantly. “I’ll let you attack first.”  
  
Unlike my own calculating mind, I charged towards him. I was blinded by anger and the desire to save the most important person in my life.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12:  
LEADER  
  
“Leader!” I turned around and saw Toma was gasping for breath and Pi was behind him. “It’s Aiba-chan!”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“He has been taken by the yakuza!” Toma said. “I could not do anything for him. I’m sorry.”  
  
I made my way towards my chair and sat down, leaning my elbows on my knees and looking at the ground. “He did not even attempt to fight them off?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Leader, please. Let me tell you what happened…” Pi volunteered. “Ever since you took him in, I know that he’s not just a normal one.”  
  
“Of course, I know that!” I snapped at him, looking up.  
  
“But this is not just about Aiba-chan! Kaze-san is also involved,” he replied.  
  
“We have our limitations as high school yankees. I will never, ever let you become involved in the affairs of the yakuza.” I stood up. “Where is Kaze?”  
  
“He ran after him,” Pi answered. “They’ll be in big danger, Leader! We have to do something! Let’s call the police!”  
  
I only gave a nod to the king before leaving the room. I needed to find a way to save both of them. I had probably caused this disaster, after all.  
  
***  
  
“What?”  
  
“Uhh… where are we?”  
  
“You’re in my fucking boat!” I snapped to the intruder. He went near me. I noticed that he was wearing our school uniform. “Wait, you’re from Yano High?”  
  
He just nodded at me. “Who are you?”  
  
I was about to answer his question when I felt something tug. “Hold it right there!” I told him before rushing towards the end of the boat to catch my fish. After a few tugs, I was able to pull the large tuna to the boat.  
  
“This is a big fish,” he commented, touching the tuna. It wriggled and he laughed like a kid.  
  
But I’m certain he’s not just some dumb student. I could feel it in my bones.  
  
“Sakano-san!”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“I’ll call you Sakano-san because you seem to like fishes,” he said.  
  
Fuck it. Does this guy know who he is talking to? But then, it’s a nice depart from all those students who would willingly kiss my feet when I walk through the corridors.  
  
“Hey!” I called him out. I crouched beside him. “Want to eat this thing?”  
  
His face brightened up. “OF COURSE!”  
  
“What’s your name?”  
  
“Aiba-chan!” he said smartly.  
  
“What are you doing in my boat?” I then asked.  
  
“I… I was looking for a place to sleep,” he said embarrassingly. “My place is too noisy.”  
  
“I see…” I stood up and started to fix everything. “We’re heading back to shore.”  
  
***  
  
“Back off!” I shouted, running in front of Aiba.  
  
“Sakano-san?”  
  
“What are you doing in this place?” I asked him. “It’s dangerous here!” I grabbed his hand and we ran out of the area.  
  
We stopped running in front of a river. I fell on my knees due to tiredness. I was so glad that I did not have to fight those yakuza members. But this guy… he’s definitely crazy!  
  
“Sakano-san?”  
  
“What the fuck, Aiba-chan?” you’re putting yourself and Yano High in danger!” I scolded him.  
  
“I made a promise…”  
  
“Eh?” I looked at him. His usually innocent expression was suddenly filled with sorrow. “What do you mean?”  
  
Aiba seemed like a person who did not open up that often. But when I saw him beat the shit out of those rookies, I felt a shiver of excitement in my veins. He was the last king I was looking for. But I could not get him as long as he was hidden from me.  
  
“I… I was from that place,” he said, his lip quivering. I tried to hide my shock as Aiba looked at me. “It’s a horrible place,” he continued, his face full of fear, as if he was trying to recall a nightmare. “But inside a horrible place, you always see a shining knight,” he added with a smile.  
  
I sat down, cross-legged beside him. “Tell me about it,” I said. I listened intently as he talked about his life as a slave in a human trafficking den disguised as some fairy tale.  
  
“… and a prince came and he swished his sword at this big monster. But then… but then…”  
  
I looked at him. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“The big monster killed the princess. He made the prince angry so he almost killed the monster,” Aiba said. His hands were already shaking. I did not want to push him more to tell me the story but I am starting to feel dizzy with the information that I’ve received.  
  
Could it be…?  
  
“The princess told me that I should find her brother and take care of him because he’s an idiot,” Aiba said with a chuckle. “I made a promise to her that I’ll find him. I definitely will.”  
  
I smiled and shook my head. “Aiba-chan, how will you find someone whom you don’t know?”  
  
“Well,” he started. It seemed like he also did not have an idea on what to do. “Well, my onee-chan…”  
  
“What’s your onee-chan’s name?”  
  
“Kazue onee-chan,” he mumbled. “Ninomiya Kazue.”  
  
***  
  
I let Kaze grab my collar as he shouted at me. “Why didn’t you tell me anything, Leader?” His eyes were full of anger but at the same time, they were full of worry. I knew how much he valued Aiba. I just did not realize that even without the knowledge of their special bond, that tragic bond, this would happen.  
  
“Why don’t you speak?”  
  
“Kaze-san, don’t…!”  
  
“Shut up!” he snapped at Toma, shoving him away. “Fuck you, Leader! You’re a fucking liar!”  
  
I glared at him and pushed him away. “I did not lie to you, Kaze.” I turned around so that I would not have to face him. “I didn’t tell you anything. That’s because I thought there was no sense in doing that. I led Aiba to you.”  
  
“To what? To remind me of that nightmare? You’re a big idiot, you know?” he shouted at me. The other kings looked at him fearfully. “You don’t understand the feeling of reliving that moment again and again!”  
  
“Kaze…”  
  
“I was almost forgetting it, you know! But when Aiba came in… when he came in… he messed everything up!”  
  
“Don’t give me that shit, Ninomiya!” I yelled back. “When Aiba came in, you stopped having those nightmares! Did he do any kind of wrong to you? No. He was there for you when you had those nightmares! You’re shit, Ninomiya! You did not even see how he was suffering on the inside because it’s all about you and your fucking past that you should have let go for a long time already!”  
  
Kaze was silent. His mouth was hanging open. I was panting as if I had run a mile, my teeth bared at my second-in-command. I raised my fist.  
  
“Leader, no!” Toma tried to stop me, grabbing my arm.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13:  
KAZE  
  
I watched him bite his lip and try to calm himself down. Leader lowered his fist and closed his eyes for a bit.  
  
“Everyone. Leave,” Leader commanded. The kings walked out without another word.  
  
He sat on his throne as if he was dead tired. “When I first met Aiba, I knew that he was not an ordinary person. It really surprised me that he came from  _that_  place. He told me he made a promise.”  
  
“A promise?”  
  
“He told me that he promised his only friend in the den, his sister-figure, to find her brother and take care of him,” he explained. “Kaze…” he looked at me. “You know how strong Aiba holds on to his promises, right?”  
  
I nodded.  
  
“He promised Ninomiya Kazue to find you.”  
  
Everything came flooding back to me. The way he touched my sister’s tombstone in familiarity, his vague words about losing battles against me, and even the night when he beat up all of my bullies. Was that promise the reason why he was weirdly affectionate towards me?  
  
That birthmark… “He’s the one!” I exclaimed. He was the poor boy, the sex slave who led me to my sister that night. He was the one pleading for me to escape while I could.  
  
 _“Your life… is more important…”_  
  
 _“No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you, remember that.”_  
  
“If something bad happens to Aiba, I can never forgive myself,” I said before running out of the room.  
  
“Kaze!” I could hear Leader shouting after me but I did not care. He was sprinting behind me. “Kaze, fighting against the yakuza is beyond our limits!”  
  
I stopped running. “I almost killed their boss! I can do it again and this time, he will stop breathing!” I shouted in anger. “Don’t come with me, Leader! I don’t want to get you into more trouble.”  
  
“Kaze… I’m your friend. We in Arashi… we are all your friends,” he said as he walked in front of me. “I can’t just let you commit suicide.”  
  
“That’s the reason why I can’t let you get involved,” I replied. “They already took my sister away. I can’t let them take Aiba away. Worse… I can’t let them take my whole family away.”  
  
He snorted with a smile but I knew that the whole situation was very serious and dark. “Kaze… this is why you’re a leader of Arashi.”  
  
“Well, I guess I’m better than you.”  
  
“Take Aiba home, will you?” he said more like a kind and hoping request. “I’ll… I’ll ask Jun to make something for all of us.”  
  
I nodded at him with a sad smile. I removed my jacket and handed it to Leader. “I might probably send Aiba home first,” I said sadly before running away. I could not bear to hear his possible response.  
  
Even though I hated that place, I was able to locate it easily. I made my way inside the restaurant fronting the real dirty business. I was stopped by the large doors that hid the sex den.  
  
“I’m here to see the boss,” I told the guard “I am Ninomiya Kazunari.”


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14:  
AIBA  
  
“So, my dear pet, welcome back,” I heard a voice whisper. I felt calloused hands touching the skin of my shoulder. “I told you before. You are unique. I will definitely find you.”  
  
I raised my head and looked at my captor. This man. I hated him. I hated him with all my life. I did not care if he treated me like garbage but my onee-chan…  
  
I will never forgive him.  
  
“What do you want from me?” I asked. “Haven’t you found another life to play with? You’ve used me enough.”  
  
“No, no, no, I don’t think so…”  
  
“So, are you going to fuck the life out of me again?” I was so afraid but at the same time I did not care about the words that came out of my mouth.  
  
“Probably,” he just said. “Unless  _someone_  comes in to save you.”  
  
My eyes widened at his response. “No… NO!”  
  
I wished no one would know about this because definitely, someone would come here. Kaze-san might come and it would not be good for him. I knew it. He was their real target.  
  
“I’ll give you anything. Just don’t…”  
  
Before I could finish my statement, a young man was shoved violently on the floor in front of me. “Kaze-san!”  
  
“Aiba-chan!” he said as we looked into each other’s eyes. “Hold on! I’ll get you out of there!”  
  
“Don’t get too cocky, kid,” the boss said. “Do you really want to get this  _thing_  out of here?” It angered me that he did not even refer to me as a human. “He’s just a useless whore.”  
  
“He’s not a whore! He’s my friend!” Kaze yelled back. I gasped as I saw that he was almost pinned to the ground by some of his men.  
  
“Well, if you want to save your friend that much…”  
  
“PLEASE! NO! I’ll do anything you say! Don’t let Kaze-san into this!” I pleaded, squirming away from my chains. “Kaze-san, get out of here!”  
  
“Are you going to make me a whore?” he told the boss with a taunting smile. “I dare you to do it.” Why is he that cocky in this kind of situation?  
  
“No,” he said simply. “You see, this guy, my favorite pet,” he grabbed me by the jaw and I was tempted to spit at him, “He volunteered himself to save a girl. I like that nobility. It’s quite a turn-on.” He went towards my friend. “But your case is different. You humiliated me and my clan. I won’t let you get away from that.”  
  
“So, you want revenge?” Kaze answered in his usual arrogant manner.  
  
“Yeah, pretty much.”  
  
“How about you release Aiba and then you can kill me. I’d rather die than suck your cock,” he replied. I wonder where he got that little courage of snapping back at the enemy even though he was at their mercy. Is he digging his grave already?  
  
“Well, in exchange of Aiba… you will be my slave,” he said with a grim smile that made me feel upset.  
  
“NO! DON’T TOUCH HIM!”  I screamed. All those memories came flooding back. I could not save my onee-chan but I promised her that I’d save Kaze-san with all my being.  
  
“Don’t worry, Aiba. I won’t touch him. Not in the way that you’re thinking,” he said. “Ninomiya, if you don’t want your whore-friend to get hurt, you’ll do exactly as I say.”  
  
I turned to the side as I watched the yakuza humiliate my beloved friend. One of them actually tied a leash around his pale neck. He would not destroy him the way he destroyed me but this man definitely knew how to destroy Kaze-san.  
  
This monster was robbing Kaze-san of his pride as a human.  
  
“Take that dog to the cell,” the boss ordered. He removed the shackles the bound me to the wall but he grabbed the chains that were holding my arms and dragged me to the floor. “I’ll have fun with my favorite pet.”  
  
“Don’t touch him, you monster!” Kaze shouted. But like a rabid dog that was kept on a leash, the man holding his leash pulled him violently, almost causing him to choke as he was dragged on the ground.  
  
“Kaze-san! Kaze-san, stop it, you’re hurting yourself,” I told him. I shook his head at him and mustered a smile. “I’ll make sure nothing bad will happen to you, Kaze-san. I’ll make sure of it.”  
  
“Don’t do this,” he replied. “Don’t do this!”  
  
I watched them drag him out of the room. I was also dragged out of the room. They brought me to the familiar red-lit room. I closed my eyes; this room held a lot of painful memories and I could not bear looking at it and being in it again. I opened them when I heard the door open. The boss tugged at the chains painfully but I resisted his pull. “What’s wrong, Aiba? I thought you’ll follow me willingly, like before…” I turned my face away when he was about to touch me. “Ahh… you want something in return?”  
  
“Don’t hurt, Kaze-san! Release him!”  
  
“That’s two demands, my dear pet. You can only give one,” he said in his mocking sweet voice that I despised. He was playing. He smirked. “I could only guarantee his life,” he said. “That’s all. I might even let you watch…”  
  
I shook my head violently. I could never bear watching them torture my friend. “You know that I can give you everything, just as long as you keep him safe,” I said desperately. “I don’t care what you do with me but please, please don’t hurt Kaze-san.”  
  
“I like it when you beg, my dear angel,” he said with a smirk. He removed his clothes and looked at me. “If you do well tonight, I might consider saving your friend.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ALL THE WARNINGS OF THIS FIC APPLIES

CHAPTER 15:  
KAZE  
  
I weakly leaned at the corner of the small cell under the sex den. Was I grateful that they did not break my body? Probably. They did not molest me. But I faced enough humiliation that hurt more than their physical torture that I’d rather die than live another day.  
  
I felt like curling up in a dark corner, never to be seen by anyone as I hid in the shadows. Was this how my sister felt like when she stayed here? I hope not. But Aiba… He definitely felt worse than this.  
  
Speaking of him, I watched as the cell door was opened. Aiba was pushed inside. I was not sure if he fell because the push was too forceful or if he was just weakened. Instead of the uniform he wore earlier, he was just wearing a large, tattered shirt. The dangerous glow in his eyes was replaced by a hollow look that resembled that time when I saw him in that red room many years ago.  
  
His eyes momentarily looked at me before turning aside. He made his way towards a corner of the cell. If there was someone who was more broken, that would definitely be him.  
  
I mustered my courage to edge closer to him and saw his face more clearly. His once smooth face that would sometimes be decorated by a cut or so, was now pale and filled with bruises. His neck and exposed right shoulder were also black and blue.  
  
“Aiba-chan…” I started, wanting to touch him but he shirked away. It was so unlike him. “What’s wrong…?” I asked. It was the most stupid question.  
  
I watched as his eyes roamed the small prison. I understood his familiarity and the desire for him to not return to this place. He grasped on his clothes tight. “Let’s get out of here…” I heard him murmur.  
  
“Yes, we will get out of here,” I told him. “But, Aiba-chan…”  
  
“Kaze-san, don’t,” he said as I was about to touch him again. “You’ve now seen what kind of person I am,” he said in a small voice. “I’m no king; I’m just a whore.”  
  
“No…” I shook his head. “Don’t say that…” He seemed to loosen up a bit. He let me hug him to comfort him. “Aiba-chan, I think you’re the bravest. You’re not just a yankee king but you’re a brave person.”  
  
“Kaze-san…” His eyes were already glossy with tears. His voice was like pleading to me that I should stop trying to make him feel better. But I still did.  
  
“I don’t think I can thank you enough for saving my sister from those monsters,” I continued. Surely, he was trying to save me as well. I always had a negative opinion towards people who use their bodies to get what they want but I somehow understood their plight, especially with Aiba being like this.  
  
I looked at him. It was as if he was trying to be strong. But I knew that one prod might break his defenses. “Aiba-chan…” I whispered. “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay.”  
  
He also placed his arms around me and he started to sob. I knew that he was making sure that he was hidden as he cried. “Kaze-san… Onee-chan…” he mumbled as he cried.  
  
At that moment, I realized that I had to be strong for my friend. “We’ll get through this together, Aiba-chan. You don’t need to… you don’t need to make any kind of sacrifices.”  
  
He looked at me and at that moment, I didn’t know how I should react. He touched the large bruise on my cheek, making me wince in pain. His eyes was full of fire and determination but at the same time, soft and gentle. “Kaze-san, I promised to protect you, no matter what, in any way I can.”  
  
“But…”  
  
“If I have to give my life, I will. That’s what I promised.” What he said next made me shudder. “I will never break another promise to you, Kaze-san.”


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16:  
KAZE  
  
I could not even recall how long we’ve been inside this prison. It was a torture seeing Aiba being dragged away every single day and be returned at night in a pitiful state. I never asked him about it and I never even dared to think about the horrendous things that they forced him to do.  
  
The thing is, the boss had stopped dragging me out. I still had the humiliating dog collar tied to the wall but they never tried to hurt me again. I knew from the very beginning that the boss was trying to take his revenge on me but the appearance of Aiba had probably changed his plans.  
  
This weird connection also changed the whole world for me. It was astounding how I was connected to this person. I was a bit mad that he and Leader kept me in the dark but in the end, I just could not help but be relieved and be happy that I was with the person who helped ease my sister’s pain while she was in this awful prison.  
  
I impulsively tucked a hair behind his ear and I happened to look at the stud he was wearing. It was a sickly brown color but upon observing it closely, I realized what it was.  
  
It was my sister’s diamond earring, one of the very few possessions that she had. I remember giving it to her on her birthday using my savings from my part-time job.  
  
I tried not to make any noise as I started to cry. I could remember all the good memories I shared with my sister. She was my only companion after our parents separated and eventually, when our mother died.  
  
“Kaze-san…?”  
  
I immediately wiped away my tears. “Ahh…”  
  
“Why are you crying?” Aiba asked like an innocent child. I was actually beginning to miss this kind of Aiba. He smiled at me and it made me feel guilty that even though he was the one experiencing the pain, his smile was nothing short of genuine.  
  
“I just… I just…” I tried to say. Words failed me as I started crying. My friend immediately embraced me. “Onee-chan…” I breathed out. “I miss her…”  
  
“I miss her too,” Kaze-san…” he said. He was the bigger person right now. “But everytime I see you, I am reminded of her. That’s why I can’t let anything bad happen to you.”  
  
I broke the embrace, my hands rested on his shoulders. “Aiba-chan, you must promise me that you’re going to take care of yourself. Promise me that you won’t let anyone hurt you, even if it’s me on the line.”  
  
“But Kaze-san…”  
  
“Don’t be such a child, Aiba,” I said with a smile. “If you stick on a promise stupidly, it might hurt you and it might kill you.” I shook him a bit. “Didn’t you also promise me that you’ll stay with me forever?”  
  
“Y-yes…” he replied meekly.  
  
“If you won’t survive, how are you going to do that?” I snapped at him. “You carelessly throw yourself into trouble because of me. In the end, we both get hurt. You have to think about your own safety as well.”  
  
“But Kaze-san…”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I… I…” he shut his mouth. There was something else that he was trying to tell or not to tell me.  
  
Our conversation was cut short when the cell opened. “The boss is calling the both of you,” one of the men said coldly.  
  
“Why both of us?” Aiba asked, surprised. “We had an agreement!”  
  
“Who cares?” another guy answered, grabbing my chains. I tried to struggle.  
  
I saw Aiba whispering something to the man who grabbed him. The man laughed but I heard him answer. “It’s the 20th!”  
  
That was odd.  
  
The two of us were brought to the same room. Aiba was brought to the corner and chained to the wall while I was kicked to the middle. The filthy members of the gang were jeering and throwing stuff at him like I’m some animal.  
  
But yes, that was the agreement: to treat me like one.  
  
I tried not to look at Aiba’s eyes as they kicked me, pushed my face to kiss the ground, made me lick their shoes like I was some kind of slave. I did not like this but what else could I do?  
  
They kept on kicking and hitting me. I can beat all of them up; they can be in my mercy. But I knew very well that they could hurt Aiba if I try to fight them so I just let them hurt me instead.  
  
I rolled towards the side where Aiba could see me clearly. The look in his eyes was unbearable. He held out his unchained hand towards me but they were far from my reach. I could see his mouth moving, uttering words that I could barely hear; Aiba’s voice had seemingly gone away while we were staying in this place.  
  
I tried. But before I could touch his fingers, I was pulled away by a man and thrown back into their circle. They were carrying bats and planks and I knew that I was going to be fucked up.  
  
“Kaze-san!”  
  
What was I doing? If they’re going to kill me, I might as well die fighting. But before I could stand, one of them hit my leg, making me fall down to the ground. I placed my arms over my head to prepare myself.  
  
I heard a shout and when I peeked, I saw several thugs on the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

LEADER

“Is that the best that you can do, cowards?” Jun said, sitting cross-legged on one of the chairs. Toma had thrown a variety of objects to the gang members. He took a bite of his apple and smirked.

“Kaze, Aiba-chan, are you alright?” I shouted at them. Kaze definitely looked surprised. Aiba nodded with a big grin. I really could not understand where that guy takes his energy. He looked really sick but he was smiling stupidly!

“Jun,” I cocked my head to the side and he stood up, walking as if he was in a park. The thugs started to go to him and he was able to hit every single one of them unscathed.

My eyebrows furrowed when I saw one guy grab his hair. “Oh no, you don’t,” he smirked before giving a headbutt and throwing the man across the room.

“Yamapi, go get Aiba,” I ordered the Second King and he nodded without a word. I know for a fact that Pi was really careful because he was not confident about his ability.

I ran towards Kaze and threw his jacket over him. “Are you ready to become Kaze of Arashi once again?” I asked, holding out my hand.

“I look pathetic, Leader,” he whined but he still took my hand and stood up. He looked at Aiba who was still chained, waiting for Yamapi to get through another group. “How about Aiba-chan?”

“It’s the 20th today,” I told him in a quiet voice.

“20th…” he repeated, confused as if I was talking about riddles. “Stop talking in stupid riddles, Leader!”

“Oi, Aiba-chan! It’s okay now,” I shouted to the other king. “The memo has been lifted.”

Kaze’s wide eyes made me smile smugly. I think he understood it already. We both looked towards the corner where Aiba was chained and I found him laughing crazily, that kind of laugh that could send shivers down his opponents’ spines. At that moment, I immediately regretted my decision to talk about the memo.

“Why the hell are you laughing?” the boss said. He was obviously scared but of course he would not show that in front of petty high school boys.

Before he could even walk away, Aiba had jumped and placed the chain that bound his hand around the boss’ neck. I could see that dangerous glint in his eyes… and more.

“Kaze, stop Aiba,” I hissed. I knew that something bad would happen if this kind of Aiba would be left on his own.

“What?”

“Look at him! Look at his eyes!”

Aiba was laughing like a maniac as he attacked the men who wanted to save their master. Each of his movement pulled the chain and caused more discomfort to the boss. He mercilessly hit some of them with broken bottles and large chairs. He was already colored with blood.

“Oh no…” Yamapi whispered behind me. “Leader, he should be stopped.”

“I know.” I looked at my second-in-command. “Kaze, do something!”

Kaze looked at me as if I was crazy. “Why should I?”

“What?”

“That man deserved it! I would want to kill him with my bare hands but Aiba deserves that privilege!”

I really wanted to stop myself but I could not help it; I slapped Kaze. “Are you crazy? Do you want Aiba to become a criminal?”

I saw him look at Aiba, who was still strangling the man. He was already struggling. I knew that this side of Aiba wanted the person who gave him hell a torturous kind of death. But I could never let him kill anyone.

“Yamapi, can you do it?” I asked him.

“No. I’m sorry, Leader.”

“Fine, I’ll do it,” I told Kaze. I started walking towards Aiba.

“Stop this, Aiba-chan,” I said, looking at him. I knew that it was a hopeless case. The way Aiba looked at me was different; the gentle eyes were gone. It was replaced by anger, bitterness, and a hint of fear.

“NO!” he shouted. The man made a sound; Aiba had tightened his grip. “This man deserves to die and he will die in my hands. I’ll finish what Kaze-san started.”

Kaze raised his head. I glanced at him and the vice president was equally shocked with his words.

“This man killed our onee-chan. Kaze-san almost succeeded in killing this monster. I don’t know why he did not finish his job but I will do it for him.” Aiba looked at Kaze with a sick smile. “I’ll kill him for you and for onee-chan. Just tell me to do it.”

I looked at Kaze, my eyes begging him to stop Aiba’s madness. His eyes avoided mine.


	18. Chapter 18

KAZE  
  
“No, Aiba-chan,” I said, shaking my head. “No.”  
  
“Kaze-san! He killed onee-chan! He made you suffer!”  
  
“He doesn’t deserve this…” I said, walking slowly towards him. “He doesn’t deserve the peace of dying. He should rot in jail. That’s the right thing to do.”  
  
“Don’t come closer, Kaze-san! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”  
  
“Aiba-chan, listen to me!” I could feel hot tears streaming down my cheeks. “Listen to me, please! We cannot be together if you kill him, do you get that?”  
  
“Kaze-san…” Aiba loosened the chains.  
  
“Let’s gome home, Aiba-chan,” I said, holding out my hand and smiling at him. I felt hot tears on my cheeks.  
  
However, before he could walk towards me, the boss got a knife from his pocket and stabbed Aiba’s back.  
  
Everything was a blur. Police came in from all sides. The boss was shot at the leg so that he could not escape. An ambulance came in and took Aiba away. Leader decided to accompany Aiba because I was too shocked to talk or move.  
  
“Kaze, let’s go to the hospital and greet Aiba,” Jun said, draping his own coat on my shoulders and steering me through the police and media who came to report the raid of the sex den.  
  
He led me to a handsome black car where the other kings were and he asked his driver to speed up. “I don’t really want to use my father’s influence but I can’t let you or Aiba-chan in danger.” He glanced at me, looking worried. It was really unusual for Jun to be like that. “Hey, you okay?”  
  
“Do I look okay?” I snapped. “Aiba-chan’s in danger. And it’s because I was so blind.”  
  
“Kaze-san,” Pi touched my back. He didn’t really like touching me but at that moment, I felt better. “It’s alright now.”  
  
“Pi, why didn’t you tell me about Aiba-chan before? You definitely knew,” I mumbled.  
  
He was silent for a while. “I… I felt like it was unnecessary,” he then said. “I also felt that you need him to be able to get over your past.” He looked down guiltily. “I’m sorry, Kaze-san. I didn’t foresee this to happen.”  
  
“No one did,” Toma said, looking sorry for everyone. “Look, guys. Let’s stop blaming each other and looking at the past. What’s important now is that you got out of that horrible place, that bastard is going to rot in prison, and…” he sighed. “Aiba-chan…”  
  
“He’ll be okay.”  
  
The four of us reached the hospital. I ran ahead of the other three and met Leader who was standing in front of the ICU.  
  
“They said he’s out of danger,” Leader said. I felt relieved but the look in Leader’s face told me that there’s something bad happening.  
  
“Leader?”  
  
“Aiba-chan is in a coma. No one can explain why,” the president said. He sat down on one of the benches and took a deep sigh. He was definitely tired and worried. “The doctor told me that the next 24 hours will be crucial. We can just pray that he wakes up within that time period.”  
  
“Can I see him?” I asked immediately.  
  
Leader smiled sadly at me. “They’ll tell us when we can.”  
  
I impatiently waited, looking at every nurse or doctor that passed by us. I just wanted someone to tell us that I can go to Aiba’s bedside already.  
  
Pi and Toma went out and returned with some snacks for all of us. No one really left the hospital. We all waited for any progress on Aiba’s situation.  
  
Finally, after hours of frustrated waiting, a nurse walked towards Leader and talked to him in a hushed voice. She left afterwards.  
  
Leader gave a small smile and said, “Two at a time.”  
  
“I’ll go with him,” Matsujun said. I looked at his face. It was one of the few times when his mask of a cool guy breaks. “Let’s go, Kaze-san.”  
  
The two of us went to the ante room to change into proper outfits silently. We then proceeded to the room where Aiba was, fitted with a lot of machines to keep him alive.  
  
“Matsujun…” I started.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Thanks.” I rarely thank anyone but I felt like I had to take this man. People would seem to think that we’re at each other’s necks, that Jun wanted my position, or worse, Leader’s position. But they didn’t really know how kind Jun actually is.  
  
He smirked as he remained standing up. I sat on the stool beside Aiba. “That’s not me, that’s my dad. I had to call that bastard to get official help, you know?”  
  
“It must have been hard,” I said.  
  
Jun shook his head. “Of course. A top official with a yankee son. Only a retard will be happy with that.” He took another stool and sat down. “Well, that’s what I thought.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“I talked to my dad and he told me that it’s alright. We’re both fools, waiting for the other one to approach the other.” Jun chuckled. “I was waiting for him to talk to me and he was waiting for me to talk to him.”  
  
I looked at Jun curiously. “Is… is everything okay now?”  
  
Jun shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so. I can still work in his company even though I graduated from Yano, just as long as I don’t beat up anyone.”  
  
This time, we both laughed.  
  
“I guess Aiba-chan isn’t really an ordinary person, you know?” Jun then said. “I learned a lot of things… and I was forced to face my dad because of this crazy ass yankee.”  
  
“Well, I did learn a lot of things from Aiba-chan as well…”  
  
“Yeah, I figured that much,” Jun replied. “You are very fond of him, I can tell.”  
  
I could feel embarrassment creeping up to my face. “W-well… he’s like an underling… of some sort.”  
  
Jun snorted. “Yeah, right, whatever.” He then stood up. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. I’ll call Leader.”  
  
“Okay,” I replied, trying to keep a straight face.  
  
When the door closed, that was when I felt it. That loneliness and fear that was building up as I watched Aiba lying unconscious on the bed. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.  
  
“Aiba-chan… didn’t you promise that you will stay with me forever?” I whispered. It was such a good thing that Jun had left because I could not control my own emotions anymore. I started crying. “Aiba-chan… why?”


	19. Chapter 19

LEADER  
  
Kaze looked worse each day. He would stay inside the sacred room, never letting anyone bother him. Everyone was worried about him.  
  
I kept on visiting the hospital to check on Aiba’s condition. So far, he still hasn’t woken up.  
  
“Ne, Aiba-chan,” I started talking to him while he was sleeping. “We’re all waiting for you. Arashi is waiting for you so don’t give up, okay?”  
  
***  
  
 _“Ne, Sakano-san, do you know where he is?”_  
  
 _I just tilted my head to the side. I still looked at the sea quietly. “Hmm… Ninomiya Kazue’s little brother…” Should I tell him?_  
  
 _“Do you want to join Arashi? That’s my fight club,” I added to ease his confusion._  
  
 _He shook his head. “Clubs are boring.”_  
  
 _“I’m the president.”_  
  
 _“Won’t that make it more boring, Sakano-san?” Aiba asked. He sat beside me the same way a cat goes to his owner. “Do you do activities like these?”_  
  
 _“We protect Yano High, our school,” I told him. “Plus we also beat up random asses, if we want to.”_  
  
 _“Sounds cool,” Aiba replied. “I know how to beat up people too.” Then he looked at his hands for a few moments. “I wasn’t able to defend onee-chan using my hands.”_  
  
 _I smiled at him. “Well, I know someone… someone who is like you. He also told me that he failed protecting someone with his hands.” I looked at the blue sky._  
  
 _“Really?”_  
  
 _“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “Well, Aiba-chan, I think you two can make a good pair.”_  
  
 _“Who is he?”_  
  
 _“Kaze. That’s his name.”_  
  
 _“Kaze, huh?” Aiba replied. “The wind.” I watched as the breeze hit his face, causing his hair to be blown to all directions. “I want to meet him.”_  
  
 _“I’m sure you’ll find him interesting.”_  
  
 _***_  
  
 _“Kaze-san is… Ninomiya Kazue’s brother?” Aiba said in realization. I pulled him behind the wall just in time and pressed a finger on my lips._  
  
 _I smiled at him quietly and nodded._  
  
 _“So… do you want to join Arashi?”_  
  
 _“I will!”_  
  
 _“You have to go through Kaze first. You have to crush him mercilessly.”_  
  
 _“But…”_  
  
 _I smiled at him again and I knew that Aiba was confused and torn. To be near Kaze, he had to hurt him. I knew that Aiba was not stupid and he knew his capabilities. He knew that he could lose control as well._  
  
 _Other yankees in Yano thought he was just stupidly strong but I digress._  
  
 _What he needed was a show of his strength, something that would make all the other students see that Aiba Masaki wasn’t a stupid yankee thrown into Yano High for nothing._  
  
 _I wanted Aiba Masaki to show everyone that he would be a king of Arashi. The First King below me and Kaze. And to do that, he should not just convince the students, but also the other kings._  
  
 _“Come here, Kaze.” My vice president went beside me and I pointed at Aiba. “I want to get him.”_  
  
***  
  
“He has no one with him anymore. I’m his friend and housemate,” I told the doctor. “I’m also the class president.”  
  
“I see…” he replied, scribbling some notes “I have some bad news.”  
  
I looked at Aiba and then to the doctor with wide eyes. “W-what is it?”  
  
“Aiba-san… he’s already fine but he seems to be refusing to wake up,” the doctor said sadly. “We don’t know who to consult but if this goes on, we will remove the life support.”  
  
“Remove… the life support?”  
  
“Yes,” the doctor said sadly. “Aiba-san fought and I know he fought hard. But I wonder…” he looked at the unconscious boy. “Is he already tired?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
The doctor hung his head low. “I saw old wounds and scars all over his body. And I know… I just know that those kinds of wounds are not from being a member of Yano’s highest fight club.”  
  
“What…?”  
  
“Ohno-san, you’ve done your very best to be his leader,” the doctor said. “I’m afraid, since you’re his only companion, that you have to make this decision.”  
  
“No.”  
  
The doctor looked at me with a surprised expression that later turned into curiosity.  
  
“Arashi will decide what to do. We are his family, after all.”  
  
“Spoken like a true top of Yano High,” he said with a small smile. “I just hope that the decision will not come and Aiba-san will wake up.”  
  
“Thank you, Matsuoka-sensei…”  
  
“Thank you for taking care of our alma mater, Leader.” He opened the door to leave. “Please don’t be hard on yourself. You’re still a high school student after all.”  
  
“Well, I’m living my life seriously. I may not have time…”  
  
“A lot of things can happen once you step into adult life, you know? You have all the time in the world.”  
  
I just bit my lip and smiled at him as he left.  
  
“All the time in the world, huh?”  
  
 _“Aiba-chan, hold on please. We can’t both leave Kaze alone…”_


End file.
